Vane-type rotary pumps and motors



Feb. 26, 1957 w, HuMPHREYs 2,782,724

VANE-TYPE ROTARY PUMPS AND MOTORS Filed May 11. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4: 42 INVENTOR. HAP/0N MHUMPHREKS AT'TO 2M5 76.

Feb. 26, 1957 w, HUMPHREYS 2,782,724

vANE-TYPE ROTARY PUMPS AND MOTORS I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 11, 1950 INVENTOR. MAR/ONM/lfl/fPf/PEXS yfl///// (W A T eA/EY5.

United States Patent VANE-TYPE ROTARY PUMPS AND MOTORS Marion W. Humphreys, Euclid, Ohio Application May 11, 1950, Serial No. 161,427

' 6 Claims. 01. 103-120 The present invention relates generally to rotary pumps and motors, as indicated, and more particularly to pumps or motors which in general are of the guided vane type but which include certain improvements to enhance the life thereof and to improve both the mechanical and volumetric efiiciency thereof.

It is one principal object of this invention to provide.

a vane-type pump or motor in which the radial extremeties of vanes radially slidably carried by a rotor have a running fit with an eccentrically disposed stator which rotates with said vanes whereby the only sliding friction between such edges of the vanes and said stator is that which occurs by reason of the movement of the vanes with respect to each other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary pump or motor which has means thereon for varying the displacement between zero and maximum and for reversing the discharge and intake ports without reversing the direction of rotation of the rotor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary vane-type pump or motor construction in which the rotorcarried vanes extend between inner and outer cylindrical members of the stator, the outer member being journalled in an anti-friction bearing whereby to be free to rotate with the vanes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary pump or motor in which the vanes aforesaid are carried by a radially slotted ring-like rotor or driving member which is disposed to rotate about its central axis which axis in turn is disposed eccentric to the axis of said inner and outer cylindrical members with which the inner and outer edges of the vanes have a close sliding fit. V

' Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary pump or motor employing a novel form of valve plate formed with openings registering with the displacement cavities of the pump or motor and communicating such cavities with the intake and discharge ports of the pump or motor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary pump or motor in which the aforesaid valve plate is more or less hydraulically balanced and is thus held in displacement fluid motor for operating the latter without necessity of a separate fluid supply reservoir and without a four-way valve as is presently required.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims,-=the following description and the annexed draw- Fig. 3 is an elevation view of the valve plate disposed.

at one end of the casing as viewed along the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view through the casing showing the intake and discharge ports and the valve plate, such view having been taken substantially along the line 44, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section view through the shuttle valve previously referred to taken substantially along the line s-s, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-section view also through the shuttle valve taken substantially along the line 6-6, Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a view showing somewhat schematically the connection of the pump herein disclosed to a double actingdiiferential displacement piston and cylinder assemblage;

Fig. 8 is a view comparable with Fig. 7 except illustrating the manner in which control of a double acting piston? and cylinder assemblage is usually effected;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross-section view similar to Fig. 1 except illustrating a modification;

Fig. 10 is an elevation view as viewed substantially along the line 10-10, Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a cross-section view taken substantially along the line 11-11, Fig. 9.

Referring now to the drawings and firstmore especially to the form of unit illustrated in Figs. 1 through 6,

and hereinafter referred to as a pump as a matter of con-- venience, the same comprises a casing 1 comprising the parts 2 and 3 which are secured together as by the bolts 4 and which define therebetween a chamber 5. Extending into such chamber 5 through the casing part 2 is a driving member or rotor 6 which is journalled in said casing part as on the anti-friction bearings 7 and 8 which preferably are of the combined radial and axial thrust type. A suitable packing 9 is disposed in a recess 10 defined between said casing part 2 and said driving member 6 and a packing retainer cap 11 which is bolted or otherwise secured to said casing part.

Said driving member 6 isformed with a tubular extension 12 in such chamber 5 which is radially slotted as at 14 at a plurality of uniformly spaced points, such slots 14 extending from the end of said tubular extension 12 up to the enlarged flange portion 15 thereof. Fitted into such slots 14 for radial sliding movement therein are a corresponding number of identical vanes 16 having inner and outer cylindrical edges struck from the centers of the respective vanes.

Within said tubular extension 12 and having an outer cylindrical surface 17 in sliding engagement with the inner edges of said vanes 16 is a cylindrical member 18 which extends from the flange portion 15 of said driving member 6 to a point substantially fiush with the ends of said vanes 16 and said tubular extension 12.

Surrounding the slot-ted tubular extension 12 is a ringlike cylindrical member 19 which has an inner cylindrical surface 2t) in slidable engagement with the outer edges of said vanes 16, said member 19 being of length equal to.

opposite ends of said member 19 are respectively in slidable scaled engagement with the flange portion of said driving member 6 and flush with the ends of the parts of the pump therein. Said outer ring-like member 19 iscarried in an anti-friction bearing 22 comprising for example a ring-like race member 21 carrying a plurality of rollers or nnedles 23-therein engaged with the outer cylindrical surface of said member 19.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the rotation of the rotor comprising said driving member 6 and said vaneslfi. radially slidably carried thereby will induce rotation. of'the reaction member comprising theinner and outer cylindrical members 18 and 19 whereby theonly sliding. between the, inner and outer edges of the, vanes and said members-18 and 19 will be the very small amount as occasionedby the radial sliding-of the vanes intheir, respective slots14'as-will hereinafter more particularly be pointed out. During rotation of therrotor as aforesaid, centrifugalforce will maintain the vanes 16 engaged-with said outer member 19 to cause rotation of the:- latter.

The bearing race member 21 is provided withdiametricallyopposed projections 24.and 25, one of which, viz. projection 24,; is reciprocably fitted into a recess 26 formed in the casing part 2 and keyed therein as by a key 27;- andlkeyway slot 28. so as to' beretained with its axis-parallelto' theaxis of the driving member 6. The other projection 25 extends through the casing part 2 and has aradial lu'g 29in-the form of a pin or the like thereonwhich fits into a-cam' groove 30 of an operating handle 31 rotatable on said projection. As evident, rotation of said operating handle 31 in opposite directions eifectsidesired';positioning ofthe stator assembly comprising the. bearing.22 the outer'member 19, and the inner member 18 with the axis of surfaces and 17 on one side or the other of -the axis of said driving member 6. A seal is effected between said projection and said casing part 2' as by means of the packing gasket 32 disposed in a peripheral groove around said projection.

As best-shown in Fig. l, the cam groove in the operating handle 31 includes an intermediate dwell portion 34 at which the'aforesaid stator assembly is coaxial with saidf d'riving member 6 and inclined portions 35 and 36 at'opposite ends of such dwell portion which effect a desrredf'extentof downward or upward movement of the stator assembly upon rotation of said operating. handle in opposite directions. In. order to hold the operating handle. at any desired position, the outer surface thereof may-be serrated or otherwise roughened as at 37 for frictional engagement by a spring finger 38 or the like secured on the casing part 2.

Referring. particularly to Fig. 2, it is now apparent that iflthe rotorfcomprising driving member 6 and vanes 16 is considered as rotatingin a counterclockwise direction, the, series;o f cavities- 39 to the right of a vertical plane passed; througlrthe axis of said rotor as defined between successive vanes 16, said tubular extension 12 and the inner. cylindrical member 18 will constitute intake cavities andthe: similar seriesof cavitics: 40 tothe left of such vertical. pl neandwas defined betweenthe same parts will constitute discharge cavities. On the other hand, the series oficavities 41 to the right of such vertical plane and as defined between said tubular extension 12, succcssivervanes: 16, andthe outer cylindrical member will constitute dischargecavitiesand the similar series of cavities-42 to the. left of such plane and as defined between thelast mentionedmembers will constitute intake cavities. Obviously, if the driving member is rotated clockwise, such series of cavities 39, 40,41 and 42 will be reversed; Similarly, if the operatinghandle 31 is turned to position the outerand'inner cylindrical members 19 and l8 with'their central axes on. the other side of the driving member axis, then such series of cavities 39 to 42 will rotation of the driving member 6. It is this last-mentioned means of reversing the direction of operation of the pump with which the present invention is partly concerned. It is to be noted also that as a further feature of this invention the capacity or displacement of the pump can be varied simply by rotating the operating handle 31 to a desired position to vary the eccentricity between the reaction member and rotor.

The valve mechanism in the pump, is best shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4,, as comprising a stepped disc-like valve plate 43 having a large-diameter portion 45 slidably keyed as by pin 44 into a counterbore 46 in the casing, part 3 and in sealed engagement therewith as by means of the packing ring disposed in a groove in said large-diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion 47 slidably fitted into a bore 48 in said casing part 3 and sealed therein as by means of the packing ring 49 disposed in a groove around said smaller diameter portion.

bereversedl withoutrequiring-reversal in the direction of Said. casing part 3 is formed with a port 50 and passage 51 which leads to the annular chamber 52 formed by said plate 43 between the bore 48 and the counterbore 46 and with another port 53 and. passage 54 which leads to the cylindrical chamber 56 within the bore 48. As will appear, said ports 50 and 53 optionally constitute theintakev and discharge ports of the pump, depending upon the'relative setting of the stator and rotor as effected by rotation of the operating handle 31 as aforesaid.

The inner plane face 57 of said valve plate 43 is formed with two pairs of diametrically opposed arcuate recesses 58 and 59 respectively communicating with the series of cavities 39 to 42 previously referred to. The arcuate recesses 58 and 59 on one side of said plate are each provided with one or more passages 60 and 61 leading to the respective chambers 52 and 56. The other two arcuate recesses 58 and 59 on the other side of said plate 43 are each provided with one or more passages 62 and 63 which are staggered and which lead angularly to the aforesaid chambers 52 and 56 but to chambers opposite fromthose to which the passages 60 and 61 lead.

Compressed between said casing part 3 and said valve plate 43' is a coil spring 64 which maintains the inner plane face 57 thereof in sealed engagement with the juxtaposed and flush faces of said outer cylindrical member 19, said tubular extension 12, vanes 16, and inner cylindrical member 18. The cross-section areas of the bore 48 and of. the annular space between bore 48 and counterbore. 46-are preferably selected so that under all conditions of operation of the pump the pressure of the fluid on opposite sides of the valve plate 43 will be. substantially balanced whereby the spring 64 will exert a constant pressure-between the juxtaposed faces of said valve plate and the. pump assembly whereby not to induce-binding. action or not to permit leakage.

As a-further feature of this invenion, and as best shown. in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the casing part 3 is formed with a-. bore 65,therethrough opposite the lower portion. ofcasing part 2, said bore 65 being closed at its opposite ends asby. means of threaded plugs 66 having reduced extensions 67' which areadapted to be engaged by a shuttle valve- 68 reciprocable in said here. Leading into said bore-65 near the adjacent ends thereof are passages 69 and'70 whichrespectively lead thereto from thechambers 52 and? 56 defined'betwe'enthe valve plate and thehousing part; Also leading into such boreintermediate the' ends there of area pairof passages 71 and72 communicating withthelower portion of the chamber 5 defined by the casingparts 12 and 3.

The shuttle valve 68 has passages 73 and 74therein which lead from opposite ends to peripheral grooves 75' and 76 therearound, the space between, such peripheral grooves 75 and- 76 and the-length of such shuttle valve relative to the distance between the ends ofextensions 67 of, plugs 66- being such. that communication. is. alterew y-. stabl shed-b tw n epa s e 1 ant ers.

chamber 52 or 56 depending on the position of the shuttle valve 68. The shuttle valve 68 operates in the manner of a piston and is urged to one position or the other by the pressure of the fluid delivered by the pump.

With a construction as aforesaid the chamber within the casing part 2 constitutes a reservoir which is preferably of a size to accommodate the entire difierential displacement of the double-acting piston and cylinder assembly 78 or similar fluid motor as shown in Fig. 7.

By reference to Fig. 7 it can be seen that by driving the rotor 6 of the pump 79 in one direction, .the piston and cylinder assemblage 78 may be extended or retracted simply by manipulating the operating handle 31 of the pump. In one instance fluid under pressure will be delivered by pump 79 through the line 80 to the head end of the piston and cylinder assemblage and the return fluid will pass from the rod end of the assemblage through line 81 to the pump for re-circulation therethrough, the deficiency in such return being made up from the fluid contained in the chamber 5 of the pump and drawn therefrom through the shuttle valve 68 into the low pressure or intake side of the pump, I

To reverse the direction of operation of the piston and cylinder assemblage, the operating handle 31 is rotated to transversely shift the stator assembly to reverse the pump 79 whereby fluid under pressure will be delivered through line 81 to the rod end of the assemblage and the return from the head end will return to the pump through line 80, the excess fluid passing into the chamber 5 through communication afiorded between the chamber 5 and the low pressure side by the shuttle valve 68. As apparent, by shifting the operating handle 31 to an intermediate position the pump assembly will rotate but will not displace any fluid whereby the piston may be stopped at any desired position within the cylinder.

From the foregoing and by comparison with Fig. 8 it is apparent that the present combination eliminates the necessity for the reservoir 82 and the four-way valve 83.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 9, and 11, the inner cylindrical member 85 is provided with a flange 86 guided within the outer cylindrical member 87, said flange being perforated along two circles to aflord communication between the series of displacement cavities formed between said outer and inner members and successive vanes 89 radially slidably carried by the tubular extension 90 of the driving member 91. As in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 the outer member 87 is journalled in a bearing 92 for rotation about its own central axis. In order to further assure rotation of the inner member 85 the same is slidably keyed to the driving member 91 as by means of an Oldham coupling in which a rectangular portion 93 of said inner member 85 is transversely slid-able in a. coupling member 94, said coupling member 94 in turn being transversely slidable in a recess 95 in driving member 91 along a path at right angles to the path' of sliding of portion 93 in said coupling member. In this way, the inner member 85 will be positively driven while yet remaining concentric with outer member 87. If desired, the inner and outer members 85 and 87 may be keyed or secured non-rotatably together or the fit of the flange 86 may be such as to cause driving of the outer member 87 through the inner member 85. Such non-rotary connection between the inner and outer members is ordinarily not required because the centrifugal force on the vanes 89 will maintain said vanes in engagement with the outer member to drive the latter.

The embodiments of the present invention herein disclosed are to be regarded as merely typical, it being understood that reference to the use of the invention as a pump is not in any way restrictive in view of the obvious use thereof as a motor wherein fluid under pressure is translated into mechanical energy as distinguished from mechanical energy being changed to fluid pressure energy in a pump. Furthermore in view of the fact that the rotation of the reaction member and rotor about eccentric axes is only relative, it is to be understood that in someinstances it may be advantageous to drive the reaction member about an eccentrically disposed axis rather than to drive the rotor as herein disclosed. In any event, the displacement action of the unit is the same regardless of which one of the reaction member and rotor assemblies is driven and the advantages of the present invention are nevertheless realized so long as the sliding between the vanes and curved walls engaged thereby is reduced to the extent herein disclosed.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a pump, the combination of a hollow casing formed with fluid intake and discharge passages, a rotor journalled in said casing, said rotor comprising a flange and a radially slotted tubular extension, vanes radially slid-ably fitted into such extension and having one end engaging such flange and the other end substantially flush with the end of such extension, a reaction member in said casing comprising an inner cylindrical member disposed within such extension and engaged by the inner edges of said vanes and an outer cylindrical member surrounding such extension and engaged by the outer edges of said vanes, said inner and outer cylindrical members having one end engaged with such flange and the other end substantially flush-with the end of such extension,

means in said casing supporting said reaction member for rotation about its centrial axis and in a position with its' axis eccentric with respect to the axis of said rotor, said reaction member and rotor forming therebetween and between successive vanes a plurality of cavities which alternately increase and decrease insize during rotation of said rotor, a valve plate in said casing in sliding engagement with those ends of said reaction member, rotor,

and vanes which are substantially flush and formed with passages therethrough alternately communicating such cavities with such intake and discharge passages during rotation of said rotor, spring means compressed between said casing and said plate for holding the latter in sliding engagement with said reaction member, rotor, and vanes as aforesaid, said value plate forming with said casing separate cylindrical and annular balancing chambers, such intake passage leading to one of such chambers, and such discharge passage leading to the other one of such chambers, the area of said valve plate exposed to fluid under pressure in the chamber communicating with the discharge passage being such as to substantially balance the area of said valve plate which is acted upon by pressure of fluid discharged from such cavities, whereby said spring means is efiective to hold said plate in sliding engagement with said reaction member, rotor, and vanes at substantially constant force irrespective of variation in the pressure of the fluid discharged by said pump.

2. In a guided vane pump, the combination with a hollow casing formed with fluid intake and discharge passages and relatively rotatable eccentrically disposed pump members forming cavities therebetween which alternately increase and decrease in size during relative rotatation of said members, of a valve plate in said casing provided with passages therethrough alternately communicating such cavities with such passages during relative rotation of the pump members as aforesaid, and spring means compressed between said casing and plate for holding the latter in sealed engagement with said pump members, said valve plate forming with said casing separate cylindrical and annular balancing chambers, such intake passage leading to one ofsaid chambers and such discharge passage leading to the other one of said chambers, the area of said valve plate exposed to fluid under pressure in the chamber communicating with the discharge passage of said-pumpbeingsuch asto substantially balancethe-areaof said valve plate whichis-acted-upon by pressure of fluid discharged firomsuch cavities, wherebysaid-springmeans'is efiecti've to-hold said platein saidextension, and vanes radially slidably fitted into-said extension and spanning the spaces between said outer and inner cylindrical members and said extension to formsuch cavities; and means providing a non-rotatable, buttransversely slidable, connection betweenone of saidcylindrical members and said rotor.

4. The pump of claim 3' characterized in that said lastmentionedmeans provides such non-rotatable connection between said inner cylindrical member and said rotor, and in that a bearing in said casing supports said outer cylindrical member for rotation about its central axis.

a 5: The pump of claim 3 characterizedin the provision of-aperforate flange on one of said" cylindrical members traversing the annular space between said cylindrical members anddisposed between said valve plate and said vanes.

' 6'. In a pump, the combination of a hollow casingv formedwitlrfluid intake and'discharge passages leading thereinto, a valve plate non-rotatable but axially movable insaid casing andforming therewith separate intake and discharge chambers on one side thereof to which such passagesrespectively lead, a rotor journalled in said'casing, said' rotor having a'radially extending flange thereon whichis axially spaced from the other side of said valve plate, a-pair of cylindrical members in said casing extending between said valve plate and said rotor flange and radiallyslidably contacting the same and forming an annularv space therebetween, a tubular member fixed to said rotor flange in coaxial relation to such rotor but eccentricallydisposed in the annular space between said cylindrical members, vanes radially slidably carried by said tubular member and spanning the space between said cylindrical members, and means in said casing supporting at-least one of said cylindrical members for rotation about its central. axis; sai'dvalvepl'ate being formed therear'ound, and the spaces defined betweensuccessive vanes and between said tubular member and the cylindrical member; therewithin, with the aforesaid intake and discharge chambers upon rotation of said rotor, saidtubu-.

lar member and the vanes carried thereby withrespect to said valve-plate, spring means compressed'between said casing and said plate for holding the latter in slidingcontact with saidcylindrical members, said tubular members, and said vanes, the area of said valve plate exposed tofluid under pressure in said discharge chamber on saidoneside of said-plate-being such as to substantially-balance the area of said other side ofsa-id plate which is acted on by pressure of fluid discharged from said spaces whereby said'spring means is eflective to hold said plate in sliding engagement with said cylindrical members, said tubular member, and said vanes at substantially constant force irrespective of variation in the pressure of the fluid discharged by said pump.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,501,051 Hill. July 15, 1924 1,560,705. Mayer Nov. 10,1925 1,895,627 Johnson Jan. 31, 1933 2,028,850 Vickers Jan. 28, 1936 2,035,465 Erskine Mar. 31, 1936 2,238,062 Kendricks Apr. 15, 1941; 2,243,901 Fulcher, June 3,1941 2,266,191 Granberg Dec. 16,. 1941 2,293,369 Tucker Aug. 18, 1942 2,348,428: Tucker May 9, 1944 2,423,654 Leis July 8, 1947 2,451,666 De Lancey Oct. 19, 1948. 2,469,097 Wrenn May 3, 1949 2,544,988 Gardiner et al Mar. 13, 1951 2,552,860 Oliver May 15, 1951 2,589,449. Stageberg Mar. 18, 1952 2,592,247 Coe Apr. 8, 1952 2,642,802 Gardiner, June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,902 Great Britain Jan. 13, 1948 

